Musical drum and the like percussion instrument



April 23, 1940. c. F. DEANS ET AL 2,198,406

MUSICAL DRUM AND THE LIKE PERCUSSION INSTRUMENT Filed Feb. 5, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 23, 1940- c; F. DEANS ET AL MUSICAL DRUM AND THE LIKE PERCUSSION INSTRUMENT Filed Feb. 5, 1938 5 Sheets-SheetZ April 23, 1940. DEANS AL 2.198.406

MUSICAL DRUM AND THE LIKE PERCUSSION INSTRUMENT Filed Feb. 5, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 April 23, 1940. F DEANS ET AL 2,198,406

MUSICAL DRUM AND THE LIKE PERCUSSION INSTRUMENT Filed Feb. 5 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 ulllllll/lI/lI/III V I April 23, 1940. c. F. DEANS ET AL 2,198,406

MUSICAL DRUM AND THE LIKE PERCUSSION INSTRUMENT Filed Feb. 5, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Apr. 23, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MUSICAL DRUM AND THE LIKE PER.-

CUSSION INSTRUMENT Application February 5, 1938, Serial No. 189,002 In England December 17, 1937 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to musical drums particularly those known as side drums and kettle drums intended for orchestral purposes.

Drums of the kind mentioned are generally supported upon a tripod or other stand which, at its upper end, has a number of arms to receive the drum and, at its lower end, has struts to support legs extending from the central stalk or stem, the several arms, legs and struts being foldable or otherwise collapsible for the purpose of ease of transport. The arms are also eX- tensible and adjustable in regard to their angle with the axis of the stalk, whereby they will hold drums of varying diameters and at any desired inclination, whilst the struts and legs are also slidable upon the stem or afford adjustment of the height at which the drum is supported. The drums consist of a hollow cylindrical shell the ends of which are closed by skins stretched around the peripheries of the shell by screw or the like means, these skins being known as heads. A series of wires or snares isdlsposed diametrically across the outer face of the lower or snare head of the drum, whilst, in some types of drums, similar wires are also disposed diametrically of the inner or underneath face of the upper or batter head. Each set of snares is held taut by a tensioning device and may be displaced axially of the drum in order to cause the snares to bear upon the face of the snare or batter head as the case may be, or to be moved away therefrom to vary the tone of the drum. It will be thus seen that with a drum provided with both internal and external wires or snares a limited number of tones are available.

Other devices such as a pad adapted to be brought into a position to bear on the under face of the upper or batter head are sometimes provided to render the drum less resonant, such devices being operated by means similar to those for displacing the wires or snares.

Axial displacement of the pad or the wires has been eiiected hitherto by levers situated on the cylindrical walls of the casing at positions readily accessible to the hand or drum-stick of the player, the levers being connected to bearers for the displacing or tensioning devices through the medium of links lying internally of the casing. With a construction of this kind, the drummer must necessarily interrupt his playing of the drum and in order to operate the levers and thus to tune the drum to one of the limited number of tones available.

The object of the present invention is to provide means which will enable the drummer to operate the wires or snares without interruption in playing of the drum, a further object being to enable an infinite variety of tones of the drum to be obtained while the drum is being 5 played.

According to the present invention, and from one aspect thereof, the wires or snares, pads or other attachment for varying the tone of a musical drum are displaceable by a remote control consisting of a pedal operable device, whereby the hands of the operator are free for playing purposes.

From another aspect, the present invention resides in the provision of means, the employ- 16 ment of which enables the wires or snares, pads, or other attachment for varying the tone of a musical drum, to be displaced to an infinitely variable degree, Within predetermined limits, to vary the pressure with which the wires or snares, 20

or other attachment, bear upon the head of the drum to so permit of a variety of tones being obtained Preferably the pedal means are connected with the wires or snares or other device through the medium of a Bowden cable mechanism, although other means such as rods and levers or pneumatic or hydraulic or electrically operated means, as may be found suitable for the purpose, may be employed.

If desired, means may be provided, either in the remote control'or in the mechanism housed within the shell of the drum, for the purpose of retaining the wires or snares or other device in the position to which they have been displaced by the pedal. I

The remote control in accordance with this invention may consist of a pedal forming a part of the stand or support for the drum or an attachment thereto, or may comprise a pedal 40 formed as a unit separate from the support.

In order that the invention may be readily understood reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a drum supported upon a stand and provided with a remote control in accordance with this invention, the skins or heads of the drum being removed for the sake of clarity.

. Figure 2 is a section through the casing of the drum on a line normal to wires or snares running diametrically of the snare head, and of a chordal length much smaller than the diameter 01" the drum.

Figure 3 is a side view of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of part of a drum casing showing the snares for the upper or batter head and the means for displacing the same.

Figure 5 is a similar perspective View to Figure 4, but shows a device comprising a pad for modifying the tone of the drum by bearing upon the upper or batter head, and the means for operating the same in accordance with this invention.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a remote control device, in accordance with this invention, formed as a separate unit.

Figure '7 is a perspective view of a drum, with the skins or heads removed to show more clearly means for enabling the wires or snares to be maintained in the position to which they have been displaced by the remote control.

Referring to Figure l of the drawings, a drum having a shell or casing H is supported upon a stand having a central stem l2. The stem l2 has a plurality of arms extending radially from the upper end thereof each of which arms has an upturned end 53 to embrace the casing ll, whilst at its lower end the said stem i2 is provided with struts M for the legs IS, the struts l4 and the legs 15 being adjustably connected to the stem 12 whereby the height of the drum may be varied and the stand rendered collapsible.

The drum is provided with a series of wires or snares E6, the several wires of which have anchorage in a housing I'l which may also embody one or more devices for tensioning the wires either collectively or separately.

As will be seen from Figures 2 and 3, the housing I! for each end of the wires or snares is supported upon a diametrical bearer strip 18, which emerges from the casing H through slots IQ of a depth to permit of displacement of the strip E8 to enable the wires or snares 16 to be moved away from the lower or snare head 20.

Disposed above the strip l8 and arranged parallel therewith is a rod or spindle 2| which is trunnioned at diametrically opposed points on the casing H in bearings 22. The rod or spindle 2% has rigidly secured thereto a lever 23 which has its upper extremity connected at 26 to a sectoral member 24 pivotally connected at its apex to a bracket 25 mounted on the strip i8. It will be seen that upon rotation of the shaft 2i the lever 23 is angularly displaced about the centre of said shaft 2!, such displacement causing an angular displacement of the sectoral member 24 about its apex. Movement of the sectoral member 24 however, is under the influence of the path of the pin 26 which moves in an are about the rod or spindle 21, thus causing movement of the strip 18 in a direction away from the rod 2!, such movement, of course, being transmitted to the wires or shares 16 which are displaced by a corresponding amount.

A shackle 21 connected to the pin 26 is adapted to receive the end of the inner cable 28 of a Bowden cable mechanism, said inner cable 28 entering the casing ll through a hole which, for preference, is formed in an enlargement 28 on the cylindrical casing H, the primary function of which enlargement is to house the tensioning screws 3i for the rims 33, 35 of the drum. By virtue of the sides of the enlargement 28 being substantially radial of the casing H, such sides are substantially normal to the cable 28 and the enlargement thus forms a convenient stop for the outer casing 38 of the Bowden cable mechanism. It is desirable that the enlargement 29 should be provided with a screwed hole to receive a tensioning device 32 (Fig. 4) for adjustment of the outer casing 38.

As will be seen from Figure l of the drawings, the stem I2 of the stand or support has loosely mounted thereon a bracket 38 forming the fulcrum of a pedal operated lever 31, said lever 31 having connected thereto the end of the inner cable 28, remote from the shackle 21. The outer casing 30 of the Bowden cable mechanism is stopped at the end remote from the enlargement 29 by an arm 39 of a bracket 38 mounted upon the stem l2 at a suitable distance above the bracket 36. The brackets 36, 38 are relatively adjustable upon and removable from the stem l2, by means of thumb-screws, whilst the lever 31 and the arm 39 are foldable relatively to their respective brackets to facilitate the stand or support being folded into relatively small compass. The height of the pedal 31 is thus adjustable to suit the foot of the player whilst the tension on the outer casing 33 may be adjusted by movement of the bracket 38.

Furthermore, the cable 28 may be easily removed from the lever 31 and the arm 38 by sliding the said cable 28 out of its engagement within the lever and arm by means of slots, so permitting of the easy dismantling or assembly of the drum and its stand.

It will be appreciated that pressure applied to the pedal 3'! causes the angular displacement of the rod or spindle 2| to cause movement of the wires or snares l6 axially of the casing l I in a direction away from the lower or snare head 20. Such axial movement of the wires or snares I8 is against the action of a spring 34, one end of which is secured to the pin 26 and the other end of which is secured to a convenient point on the walls of the casing H, the spring 34 causing the wires or snares to resume their normal position upon the lower or snare head 20 when pressure upon the pedal 31 is released.

Referring to Figure 4 of the drawings, which illustrates the application of the present invention to the wires or snares which normally bear upon the under face of the upper or batter head of the drum, each end of the wires l6 are anchored in a member 40 slidable in a chassis 4| mounted on the inner walls of the casing H. The slide 40 has pivotally connected thereto a bracket 42, the upper end of which has a pivotal connection 26 with the lever 23 which is angularly displaceable in unison with the rod or spindle 2| carried in trunnions at diametrically opposed points on the casing II.

The pin, comprising the pivotal connection 26, also forms the connection with the shackle 21 of the inner cable 28 of the Bowden cable mechanism the outer casing of which is stopped by the enlargement 28 as described with reference to Figures 1 to 3.

Angular displacement of the rod or spindle 21, therefore, causes displacement of the slide 48 relatively of its chassis M to displace the wires or snares l6 axially of the casing ll in a direction away from contact with the batter head 50. A similar displacement is imparted to a slide in a chassis member at the opposite end of the rod 2|. Such movement, of course, is caused by depression of a pedal such as that described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, and is against the action of the spring 34 which causes axial movement of the wires or snares IS in the opposite direction, i. e. to resume their normal position in contact with the upper or batter head 58, when pressure upon the pedal is released.

The slide 40 and bracket 42 (as is the sectoral member shown in Figures 1 to 3) are provided with recesses or holes of suitable shape and size to prevent movement being hindered by the rod or spindle 2|.

Figure 5 illustrates the application of the present invention to the operation of a pad 44 for modifying the resonance of the upper or batter head of the drum. A normal position for such a pad, of course, is away from contact with the under face of the upper or batter head, as shown in Figure 5. The pad 44 is mounted upon the upper end of a member 43 slidable in its chassis 4|. Movement of the slide 43 in a direction parallel with the axis of the casing H, to cause the pad 44 to bear upon the under face of the upper or batter head 50, is effected by the angular displacement of a sleeve 45 mounted on a stud trunnioned on the inner walls of the casing The sleeve 45 carries a radial arm 46 which is cranked or bent to engage within an arcuate slot 4'! formed in the slide 43. Angular displacement of the sleeve 45 is efiected by means of the inner cable 28 the end of which is provided with a shackle 21 engaging a bifurcated yoke mounted on the lower end of the radial arm 46. Thus,

pressure applied to a pedal to which the remote end of the cable 28 is connected causes the pad to be moved upwardly in a direction parallel with the axis of the drum to bear against the upper or batter head 50. Such movement of the pad is against the action of the spring 34 which causes the pad to resume its normal position when pressure on the pedal is released.

It will be appreciated that the present inven ticn may be embodied in any device or attachment for modifying or effecting alteration in the tone of a drum other than those hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings which show the application of the invention to the operation of the wires or snares or pad with which drums of the kind mentioned are usually provided. A single pedal may operate more than a single set of wires or snares or other attachment or a pedal may be adapted to operate each set of wires or snares and other device. In such an event, the pedals would be situated in close proximity to one another and may have their fulorums in a common bracket such as 36 and have the outer casings of their attached Bowden cables stopped in arms of a common bracket such as 38. Again, a single pedal may be adapted to operate more than one set of snares or other device.

The pedal may be mounted on any convenient part of the stand or support for the drum or be mounted upon a convenient part of a so-called Console for reception of more than a single drum and other equipment to be played by the drummer.

In the construction according to Figure 6, the pedal is mounted remote from the stand or support for the drum. A housing 5| for the pedal 31 comprises a substantially rectangular box or casing adapted to be placed on the floor in a position readily accessible to the foot of the player. The pedal 3'! is fulcrumed upon a rod or spindle arranged transversely of the casing 5| and is disposed longitudinally thereof in a substantially horizontal plane to project outside the casing and be provided with a pressure plate 52 to receive the foot of the drummer. The lever is one of the second order and accordingly is provided with a hole or recess to receive the nipple 53 of the end of the inner cable 28 of the Bowden cable, the

outer casing 30 of the cable being stopped in a recessed hole 54, which is in communication with a hole, of a diameter to permit passage of the nipple 53, by a slot. The nipple 53 may be readily removed from the lever 31 and be withdrawn from the casing 54 to permit of the easy dismantling of the apparatus. A pair of strips 55 provide a reaction means of the pressure applied to the plate 52 and prevent the casing from being affected by the pressure. The strips 55 which may have their ends upturned to form a heel rest, are hinged to the casing 5| whereby they may be folded or turned back below the casing to enable the casing to be folded into small compass. A pair of spurs or projections may be provided, one at each side of the casing, to obviate the risk of the casing. working along the floor, said spurs 58 being pivotally mounted on the easing 5| whereby they may be folded inwardly thereof.

It will be understood from the drawings the snares or wires I6 are normally held in contact with the drum head by the action of the spring 34 and that the degree of movement of such wires is under the control of the pedal. The pressure upon thepedal, therefore, controls the pressure of the wires or snares upon the respective heads, and it will be appreciated that the resonance of the heads, and consequently the tone of the drum, may be varied between the limits constituted by the normal position of the snares or wires and the position of such wires when they are totally removed from the head. Again, when not in use, the position of the pad 44 or the snare wires is as shown in Figure 5, that is to say, the pad-need not normally bear upon the head 59, but the pressure with which it may be brought to bear upon the head 50 may be governed by the pedal controlling the wire 28.

If desired, however, the present improvements may be applied to cause movement of the wires or snares, or a pad or other attachment, from an abnormal position to a normal position.

Again, where the housing embodies a tensioning device for the wires Hi, the mechanism in accordance with the present invention may be pedal to the wires or snares, or this may be effected by electrically operated means. Again, if desired, the pedal may be adapted angularly to displace the rod or spindle 2| by means of a link, for which purpose the said rod or spindle 2| would be extended through the casing H and be connected to the link through the medium of a lever rigidly connected to the rod or spindle.

Figure 7 of the drawings shows a convenient method of retaining the wires or snares of the lower or snare head in the position to which they have been displaced by the remote control. The mechanism for causing displacement of the wires or snares l6, axially of the shell or casing ll of the drum, is substantially the same as that described and illustrated with reference to Figure 2.

In Figure 7, however, the end of the spring 34 remote from the pin 26 is connected to a roller 51 carried by the free end of an arm 58 fulcrumed in a bearing 59 on the walls of the casing H. The arm 58 may be angularly displaced about its fulcrumed end by means of alever (not shown) on the exterior of the casing H to bring the said arm 58 to the position shown in dotted lines. The bearing 59 has stops to limit the an-- gular movement of the arm 58 to the positions shown.

Accordingly, the spring 34 may have the function of causing the wires or snares to return to their normal position on the lower or snare head or, by angular displacement of the arm 58 to the position shown in dotted lines, the spring 34 may be relieved of tension or be prevented from exerting force on the sectoral member 24. The wires or snareslB, therefore, will remain in the position to which they have been angularly displaced even though pressure on the pedal, comprising the remote control, is relieved. The mechanism shown in Figure '7, of course, is utilised when it is desirable to retain the wires or snares in their displaced or off position for a period of time during which the drummers feet is freed from operating of the remote control.

We declare that what we claim is:

1. In a percussion musical instrument having a substantially cylindrical frame, heads carried at the ends of said frame, and snare wires for varying the tone of said instrument by variable pressure on at least one of said heads; a rotary spindle supported within said frame and extending diametrally thereof, holders between which the end of said snare wires are held in tension, means for interconnecting said holders to form a unitary structure with said snare wires, guide means, which are mounted at diametrically opposed points on the inner wall of said frame and within which the holders are slidable, for controlling the path of displacement of said snare holder unit in a direction longitudinally of said frame, conversion means connecting the snare holder unit and said rotary spindle for imparting movement to the snare holder unit longitudinally of said frame upon rotary movement of said spindle whereby to vary the pressure of the snare wires on said head, a pedal operated control remote from said instrument, and a displaceable sheathed core cable passing through said cylindrical frame and connecting said pedal operated control and said rotary spindle for imparting rotary movement to said spindle.

2. In a percussion musical instrument having a substantially cylindrical frame, heads carried at the ends of said frame, and snare wires for varying the tone of said instrument by variable pressure on at least one of said heads; rotatable means supported within said frame and extending diametrally thereof, holders between which the ends of said snare wires are held in tension, means for interconnecting said holders to form a unitary structure with said snare wires, guide means, which are mounted at diametrically opposed points on the inner wall of said frame and within which the holders are slidable, for controlling the path of displacement of said snare holder unit in a direction longitudinally of said frame, conversion means connecting the snare holder unit and said rotatable means for imparting movement to the snare holder unit longitudinally of said frame upon rotary movement of said rotatable means whereby to vary the pressure of the snare wires on said head, a pedal operated control remote from said instriunent, a displaceable sheathed core cable pas-sing through said cylindrical frame and connecting said pedal operated control and said rotatable means for imparting rotary movement to said rotatable means, a spring connected at one end to said rotatable means for imparting a resilient load to said snare holder unit whereby to resist movement thereof in a direction longitudinally of said frame towards the on position of said snare wires, and lever means pivoted to said frame and carrying the opposite end of said spring and operable independently of said pedal operated control for rendering said spring inoperative when said snares are in their off position.

CHARLES FREDERICK DEANS. ALBERT EDMUND BUSBY. 

